SU-South Florida: Sorting Through the Rubble

I know I wasn't the only one sitting inside on a gorgeous autumn day in Central New York watching the Syracuse University football team march towards an inevitable 45-13 beat down at the hands of the South Florida Bulls.

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But it sure felt that way.

When Bulls QB Matt Grothe ran for a touchdown to make it 21-10 in the 2nd quarter, I sent a text message to a buddy of mine.

Here we go...

The response?

"what do u mean?"

My response....

"that TD run by Grohawk"

The response to the response?

Oh. Not watching the game.

This happened on more than one occasion with other buddies during that game...

Now I know my little circle of life isn't exactly a scientific poll to determine what kind of television audience was around for this one, but it had me wondering who else was experiencing this.

Any SU fan who chose to mow the lawn, rake the leaves, go apple picking, or be occupied otherwise on Saturday afternoon must have felt vindicated to check on the score later that day and know that is exactly how they thought things would go.

This is the part where some fans reading this will call blasphemy that "real" fans didn't watch their team play.

Let's go back to my world for a moment.

When I received those several text messages back from those several buddies of mine who were doing everything but watching the game on Saturday, I think it is very telling that it never occurred to me, not once, to text back something like what do mean u aren't watching the game! or a apple picking with your girlfriend during an SU game? what time is the his and her manicure appointment you made?

If apathy hasn't officially settled in to the minds of the SU Football fan, he is unloading his suitcase out of the trunk and getting ready to come in the house.

About 90% of the email I receive these days from SU Football fans (and guys like Rob Konrad for that matter) has to do with if and when Greg Robinson will be fired and who will replace him. I can't speak for guys like Donnie Webb, Dave Rahme, and others, but I would imagine their inboxes aren't exactly flooded with questions about much else when it comes to this team.

Speaking of email, it is as if a growing contingent of fans have an "out of the office auto reply" mentality with this team.
I am currently uninterested in any other aspect of Syracuse Football. Please inform me when Greg Robinson is fired and I will return to watching this team play. If you need immediate assistance, please contact Dr.Daryl Gross and ask him what the holy heck he is waiting for.

Then there is this friendly reminder.

Not that you remotely needed the math to tell you this, but it is now official with the loss to South Florida that a winning season in 2008 is not possible.

It is still mathematically possible for this team to make a run to 6-6, but that would be along the same lines as Lloyd Christmas thinking he had a shot at Mary Swanson because she told him his odds at landing a date with her were a million to one (so your telling me there is chance!)

Ladies and gentleman, Lloyd Christmas has nothing on Greg Robinson.

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When asked after the game if his team can win five straight and still qualify for a bowl game, Grob said this.

"Damn right it is. I say this, I think we can play with anybody we play from here on in. We've got a chance just like they do. We've got a week to get healthy and get our game. Just keep growing. This ain't over. There's a lot of football left in this football team."

Ooooooo K buddy.

On that note, this team enters its second and final bye week of the season before returning to the Carrier Dome on November 1 to begin a busy month where they will play five straight games.

A month with five games on the slate and one has to wonder if it even will matter. Most of us have already started sneaking longer glances at the cute new girl in class.

The SU Basketball team is practicing after all.

Pink Slip Watch

Now on to what you really care about. Based on several conversations with spies close to the situation and other factors, here is where we stand right now on "Grob Watch."

If you handed me $100 and wanted me to place a bet on it, I would say the "Ron Zook Theory" is going to be the safe play on seeing Greg Robinson get fired in-season. That is, he will get fired in-season, but allowed to coach out the schedule.

For those of you wondering, money doesn't seem to be an issue. They absolutely have the cash to buy him out if they wanted to. It is more along the lines of a "respect" issue.

SU higher ups respect what Robinson has done in the community and that the team still seems to be playing hard for Greg. It is not 100% out of the equation that Robinson could get fired and not coach out the rest of the year, but it would take something as big as the team quitting on him or something major to that effect for that to happen.

As for when the hammer drops? At this point, and I stress AT THIS POINT, if you handed me $100 and asked me to bet on it, I would say after the Connecticut game on November 15, the final home game of the season. There are some rumbles that there is some fear of making the news public before that game. The irony is, news that Robinson is going to be canned prior to that game would probably increase ticket sales for UConn.

As for names to replace Robinson? Haven't heard anyone new that moves the meter. It is all the usual suspects. Donnie Webb noted this week in his blog that Tennessee Offensive Coordinator Dave Clawson may be in play, but his name isn't exactly a new one to add to the list.

Let me throw this log on the fire as well.

Just a hunch on my part, but does anyone else get the feeling Gross has a name up his sleeve as his guy that no one has mentioned yet? I mean, who even remotely mentioned Greg Robinson as a possibility for the job after Pasqualoni was fired? Sure, there was a shorter time frame for Gross to find a coach then, but the point remains.

Another QB Change Coming?

Greg Robinson wanted to get Andrew Robinson in the game. He was just...ahhh....busy.

"You know. I wanted to do it later in the game, the last series or two," Greg Robinson said. "What happened was, I'm coaching over on the (defensive) side. I run over there (to the offensive side), and it's too late. We're already out. I think that Andrew deserves to get in there and do something like that."

I mean, what do you do with a statement like that? Talk about shooting fish in a barrel.

"I'm coaching over on the defensive side?" What the heck does that have to do with anything? Do you not have a headset on to tell someone to put the kid in? Are you actually admitting you got distracted during the game, Greg?

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Not that putting Robinson in the game was crucial by any stretch, but that quote is just unbelievable.

Anyway, I also find it interesting that Robinson was spotted, on camera, talking passionately to Andrew on the sideline in the final minutes of the game. Why else would Greg be talking to his backup QB at that point other than a discussion along the lines of "be ready next game".

Or he could have been apologizing for "forgetting" to put him in. Who knows with that guy.

In any case, Cam Dantley was awful in this game. After looking like he was making some progress lately, he clearly took two steps back vs USF.

The offense was horrendous overall in the second half (more on that in a minute) but Dantley was tentative and inaccurate all day and made several bad mistakes. He admitted he was shaken up playing his first road game in front of big crowd last week in Morgantown. Have to wonder if that was a factor again.

The Sunny Side

*My go to guy in this section has been Curtis Brinkley and today was no different. This team would be flat-out unwatchable if we didn't get to see this kid run like a madman every week. Brinkley had 100 yards by halftime and had a nice 24-yard TD run. If only the whole team played like this kid.

*Speaking of Brinkley, he managed to run the ball on a defense that had not allowed a 100-yard rusher in five games.

*Syracuse flirted with this being a competitive game and only trailed 21-13 at halftime.

*Give props to Rob Long for saving both of Patrick Shadle's field goals. The snaps on both kicks were low and off the mark and Long did a super job of recovering and giving Shadle a chance on both of them.

*The defense created a turnover. It didn't lead to any points, but we'll take it from a defense that has been allergic to creating turnovers this season.

*Mike Holmes had 11 tackles to lead the team and recovered a fumble. I felt bad for Holmes as well on one play. When USF's Taurus Johnson caught a 9-yard TD from Matt Grothe to make it 35-13, Holmes was all over Johnson. But Grothe threaded the needle and got the ball in a tight spot.

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*I'm really drawing thin strings when I'm happy about a holder doing a job, a corner "almost" making plays, the halftime score, and that the defense managed to create a turnover, aren't I?

*After having this stat in their favor in the first half, SU totally handed over time of possession. USF ended up holding the ball for 34:11 to SU's 25:49

*Even when Dantley got them the ball, the dropsies were back in a bad way for the receivers. Lavar Lobdell's big drop (surprise) on the first drive set the tone.

*SU tried the same defensive philosophy they broke out last week vs West Virginia with Mike Holmes playing safety, Max Suter linebacker, Kevyn Scott cornerback and Derrell Smith defensive end, but last week's success was deceiving without Pat White on the field. Matt Grothe, to say the least, was not contained. He ended up 18-of-25 for 246 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed nine times for 66 yards and a TD.

*Speaking of defensive philosophy, or in this case lack there of, how in all that is holy does Syracuse let a WIDE OPEN A.J. Love catch a touchdown to make it 28-13. They stacked 11 guys in the middle of the field. No one even came over to cover Love on the play! Unreal.

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This, That, and the other Thing

*RB Delone Carter did not make the trip due to a hamstring injury.

*Fullback Tony Fiammetta was on the sideline but did not play due to a lower leg injury. 6-6, 303 pound guard Adam Rosner replaced him in the lineup.

* The Bulls' all-time record vs Syracuse is now 4-0. The Bulls have held Syracuse to 13 or fewer points in all four of those games.

*Syracuse wore white jerseys and white pants in Tampa. It is the first time the team has worn that combination since a 2005 game at Florida State.

*I find it interesting that just a few hours after the game, the home page of SUAthletics.com had no mention of this game. You had to click on the football section of the website to find the write up on the game. But how about that women's hockey team getting their first win!

*Finally, I got a chuckle out of this.

We all know that basketball season is quickly approaching and SU sure wants you to know that. I received this email from SU Athletics as I was writing this recap.
"Tickets for the 2008 edition of "Midnight Madness" for the Syracuse men's and women's basketball team go on sale Monday, October 20. The event is scheduled for Friday, October 24, at Manley Field House. The doors will open at 7:00 p.m. with the event scheduled to get underway at 8:00 p.m.

Former SU standout Leo Rautins will serve as master of ceremonies for the event. Rautins, a broadcaster for the NBA Toronto Raptors, is also the coach of the Canadian Olympic Team.

Midnight Madness is free to the public and a general-admission ticketed event. "

OK, good to know. But I have one question.

How do tickets "go on sale" if the event is free?

Axeman
baxeman@yahoo.com

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Brent Axe is also the host of "On the Block" heard weekdays from 3-6 p.m. on ESPN Radio 1260 in Syracuse. You can listen to the show online by clicking right here